A firmware bug in Corsair’s K100 keyboards, rather than malware, is causing previously entered text to be auto-typed into applications days later.
Several K100 users have reported that their keyboards randomly type text.
Initially reported on the Corsair forums in August 2022, the behavior left people puzzled and concerned that some form of keylogging or malware was responsible.
The K100 keyboards were tested in safe mode to exclude the possibility of running malware on Windows, yet still randomly typed words, so the source of the problem was determined to be in the hardware.
Corsair responded to concerns by stating that its keyboards do not have keylogging capabilities nor actively monitor what users type.
According to Corsair their keyboards do not log user input in any way and cannot log individual keystrokes.
An error in the macro recording feature in the keyboard causes it to switch on by mistake, causing it to record keystrokes and mouse movements, which then trigger macros later, causing the saved text to be retyped.
Corsair’s spokesperson said the company is investigating the exact nature of the bug with impacted users to determine its precise cause.
There Is No Clear Fix
The latest firmware update for K100 devices (version 1.11.39) did not resolve the issue.
This latest firmware update has also caused random freezes on the keyboard, which some users report may be related to the high polling rate setting.
The recommended action to stop the K100 keyboard from the auto-typing text at random moments is to unplug it and hold down the Esc button for five seconds while plugging it back in.
However, some users report that a factory reset and clearing the keyboard memory don’t prevent the issue from recurring after a while. Therefore, users may have to wait until Corsair addresses this issue in a firmware update.
In screen sharing and presentations, repeated random inputs may lead to data leakage which eventually exposes sensitive information. In these situations, it can also interfere with a user’s gaming experience, so you should switch to another keyboard until the bug is fixed.
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